The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07
WORK OF A MODEL.
MILE. ELLA WRITES OF HER OWN
STUDIO EXPERIENCE.

MILE. CIlA WnilC0 UT PCn OWN
STUDIO EXPERIENCE.
Beginning Work When a Little Girl-An
Incensed NIother-Difference Between
French Artists and American Painters.
The Models Ideas.
My companions were many Of them
models, and one day, I remember it well,
I was only 10 years old at the time, a
friend said to me:
celia, how would you like to pose for
an artist2 NJ. Corros, the great painter,
wants little girl to sit for him. He is
making canvas of q village scene, and
he asked me to find somebody, and you are
just the one that would suit him." l
didn't dare to tell my mother, but next
morning, with O fast beating heart, I
knocked at the door of NJ. Corros' studio.
had not long to welt, for tall man with
q kindly face and musical voice opened
the door and said: "Come in, little girl, !"
in manner that made me feel at home ut
once.
Itwas an odd place and confess I was not
o little interested in the many things saw.
The room, large one, was Uttered with
bits of statuary and bric-a-brac strcwn
about. The walls were covered with worn
out tapestries and hideous helmets, shields
and deadly battleaxes. M. Corros him
self was dressed in red smoking gown,
with fez poised on the back Of his head,
and his feet were incased in pointed Turk
ish slippers. Indeed, it would make any
girl bit scary. He took me by the hand
and led me to On easel upon which there
was half finished painting of q little
Swiss maiden milking cow. "Take OF
your dress and put this one on" he said,
handing me skirt and bodice, such as
are worn in the Bernese Alps. Without
waiting he began to loosen the buttons of
my waist. Before I had time to realize
what had occurred stood there with my
peasants dress on. Next he showed me q
photograph of a peasant girl with milk
pail in her hand and asked me to assume
tho same position. was rather clever
then French girls usually are and
naturally. fell into the position. "Goodl'
exclaimed monsieur, and after making a
few suggestions and arranging the folds
of my skirt he filed q long pipe, and,
taking up his palette, dropped into O seat
before the easel
Stand that way Us long as you can and
tell me when you get tired. Sing, laugh,
do anything you please, only don't move
more than you can possibly help till I give
you permission. {" He daubed his brushes
over the pats of paint on his palette, and
through the thick clouds of fragrant smoke
that rose from his pipe I watched him
work away. I stood there half an hour at
least, encouraged by the snatches of fa-
miliar songs that monsieur sang Us ho
worked away. Suddenly he dropped the
brush and came over to me. "Bravol'
he cried. "You are little b-ick, and
now you shall have your reward" With
that he opened an ancient carved cup
board, took therefom the lightest cups
and saucers had ever seen and began to
set three legged table. He had no end
Of sweetmeats, biscuit, cakes and fruit
and, best Of all, coffee, which he himself
made, using milk instead Of water to cook
it in.
We sat down and ate and drank, NJ.
Corros saying funny things all the while.
During the meal he casually referred to
my parents, asked me If my mother. was
kind to me and If had brothers and sis
ters.
At his request, after I had gorged my
self to my hearts content, I resumed my
position and monsieur painted away an
hour longer, and I put on my things be-
hind screen and prepared to go home.
"Come again tomorrow" said mon
sieur, pressing five franc piece in my
hand, "and say to your mother that shall
use you for week to come at least."
sIplucked up courage, and just before /
said my evening prayers I handed my
mother the coin had earned, confessed
everything, got a sound beating and fell
asleep.
Next morning my mother escorted me
to the studio, determined to rebuke NJ.
Corros for having engaged me as his
model without her consent. Like Gold
smiths scoffer she remained to pray, and
in less than five minutes everything was
settled and from that time forth I took
my place in the army of models that
live in the studios Of the Rue Clichy and
Rochechouart.
Iposed for Corros three years, and obi
we did have such jolly times. French
artists are not at all like your American
painters. They are kind and treat their
models just as if they were boon COM
panions. They don't say, like your
Americans do to their models in q cruel,
chilly way: "Ah, Miss x, you have come
to sit for me. just take your position
and wait till I get ready. There, keep
your back straight; don't wink and try to
appear at rest" The idea of q person
trying to assume tho natural, unre-
strained pose Of simple girl before a
spinning wheel in stiff backed chair with
her hands crossed In her lap! That's the
very reason why most American painters
can't paint. They don't choose their
models from the right material. All they
want is g girl with q good figure and
never care whether she is graceful or not
Instead Of allowing an experienced
model to assume her own positions, to On
extent, they insist that the model should
sit just as they wish and distort herself
until she looks like mannikin.
In Paris tits different. The artist knows
his model, as she is one of his best friends.
sI want to paint nun ut mass or prin-
cess at q ball, mademoiselle, he says.
Then perhaps he will take-up guitar,
strum few bars of o waltz while the
model leisurely undresses in his presence
and dons her costume. tHow would you
stand, suppose was the prince and led
you into the ballroom, and we were saluted
by the guests?" OF course a graceful
model catches the idea at once. She stands
one way, then another, and 80 on until the
artist hits upon the one he likes, and i'm
parting few ideas about the arrangement
of the drapery he goes about his work.
Everything is natural, and that is the rea-
son in great measure why french paint
ers are so successful in their efforts.
Then again, from her friendly relations
with the artist, the model takes the liberty
Of criticising the painting in its various
stages of completion, and standing ut q
distance from the canr-s the model can
better judge the effect Than the artist,
who is close to the canvas, and hundreds
Of times, while posing for Cabanel, Bac-
canvitch and Van Beers, have called
their attention to what thought was out
Of harmony with the rest Of the work.
Kindly Baccanvitch-.who, by the way, is
coarse looking Russian, with barbarous
manners, but as tender as blushing girl
at heart-would thank me for such sug-
gestions. Fer model to tell an American
artist anything about painting would only
incur his displeasure or perhaps bring
forth o mild oath or two.-Mlle. Ella in
New York World.
Poet Whittier's Protest.